Amvrosios, the Greek-Orthodox bishop of Kalavryta, was found guilty of abuse of ecclesiastical office and incitement to hatred by a court in Aigio on Monday. The northern Peloponnese bishop had advised people to spit on gays in 2015, saying ”do not go near them! Do not listen to them! Do not trust them! They are the

Greece’s Council of State announced that it has ruled as constitutional and in line with European law legislation the law that extends the cohabitation agreement to gay couples as well. It rejected as unjustified a call from some church leaders to ban the law. The court said that the private life of people, including their

Nathan and Chris have traveled many times in Greece and they fell in love with the country and its countless beauties. They are also in love with each other. So they decided to get married in Greece’s Volos, the sea-side port city of Thessaly in Central Greece, with its magnificent beaches and the amazing Pelion mountain;

Your All-Holiness, Holinesses, Beatitudes, Eminences and Graces, dear Fathers, brothers and sisters, dear delegates of the Holy and Great Council, The European Forum of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Christian Groups, an ecumenical association of more than 40 groups from across Europe, representing approximately 6,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Christians, would like

Members of the Greek Orthodox Church held an all-night prayer vigil on Thursday, ahead of the Thessaloniki Pride Festival due to take place at the capital of Macedonia from June 24-25. The festival has been denounced by church members as a “festival of abnormality and dishonor.” Church spokesman Father Stephanos said that the vigil is

Bishop Amvrosios of Kalavryta is clearly not pleased with the creation of a poster advertising Gay Pride Thessaloniki depicting the Crucifixion with hearts bearing the message “no hate.” Outraged, the bishop referred to the poster advertising Gay Pride for June 24-25 as “provocation.” He wrote: “Devotees and followers of rough intimate rapport, known as Gays,

Sixteen couples have entered into a civil partnership agreement since last December when the relevant law passed by Cyprus’ Parliament came into force. Eight of them were same-sex couples. A workshop organized on Monday in Nicosia showed that despite significant progress in the legislative framework of Cyprus, much remains to be done for the social

The hoteliers of Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki, are looking to promote their town as an LGBT-friendly (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) tourist destination as part of their aim to attract visitors from specialized market segments, their union said on Wednesday. Thessaloniki Hotels Association (THA) hosted jointly with specialized online travel platform Destsetters a one-day

The 11th annual Athens Pride took place in downtown Athens on Saturday, June 13. This year’s event used the slogan “Take a Stand,” demanding equal rights for the LGBT community. Greek artists such as Polina, Demy, Melisses, Marietta Fafouti and Afroditi Manou performed in Klafthmonos Square for the crowd gathered to support the cause. Naturally, the

The recognition of LGBTI rights in Europe still poses a challenge to this day, since it appears that in several cases, states and societies have failed to respond adequately. ILGA- Europe in collaboration with Rainbow Index conducted a report and found that several European countries can be described as “unfriendly” toward the LGBTI community. They are far

The Landspítali Transgender Services Team will today, starting at 10AM, hold a conference in Reykjavík to educate healthcare workers, teachers and other public and private sector workers and employers on the issues that trans people face when accessing education and healthcare. With Dagur B. Eggertsson, the mayor of Reykjavík and Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir

Iceland president, Guðni Jóhannesson wore a rainbow bracelet to a meeting with Mike Pence. And it was no coincidence. Wednesday, September 4, Iceland’s president Guðni Jóhannesson met with the US vice president Mike Pence at Höfði house in Reykjavík for official talks. Mike Pence is know for his stance against the rights of LGBT+ people

Men’s magazine Elska is celebrating its fourth birthday in September. ”I like to think of Elska as some kind of sexy anthropology journal,” explained 33-year-old editor and photographer Liam Campbell in 2015 when he launched the publication. Since then, Liam has traveled to more than twenty countries, including Iceland, to capture ”the bodies and voices

Back for its 14th year, Iceland’s biggest men’s only party is back! GayIceland caught up with Frosti Jónsson, the founder of Bears on Ice, about this year’s events, which is starting tomorrow and what the bears are up to. Our first question to Frosti was: “What is Bears on Ice” – for those that don’t

Being proud of who you are should be an everyday thing. However, for LGBTQI+ people, being proud is especially celebrated in August here in Iceland during Reykjavík Pride. GayIceland’s Anna Kristine Magnúsdóttir-Mikulcáková asks members of the community what meaning Pride has for them Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir, chair of Trans Iceland: “The thing I love

“In this episode of the podcast Trans Land Ugla speaks with Anna Kristjánsdóttir, who was the first public trans person in Iceland. Anna has been a pioneer for trans rights in Iceland and beyond, and dedicated her life to fighting for trans rights. She has been at the forefront of fighting for social acceptance and

Opinion Why is it important that we as a community come together and make a firm stand for human rights? Trans activist and chair person of Trans Iceland, Ugla Stefanía tells you why. As Queer Christmas comes once more the small city of Reykjavík, with all it’s celebration, glitter and politics, the disgruntled voices of

GayIceland’s Yaz Duncan sits down with Gunnlaugur Bragi, President of Reykjavik Pride, to talk rainbow capitalism, Pride as a protest and Icelandic attitudes towards LGBT+ rights. Once upon a time queer people could be arrested for wearing two items of clothing not commonly associated with their gender, spaces for queer people were raided because it

For Margrét Ágústa Þorvaldsdóttir, coming out was a long and difficult process. It took years for her to accept that she was gay, and it was only a few years ago that she began coming out to her family, friends and community. Now, Margrét wants to share her story so that people out there in

Svona fólk – Plágan or People Like That – The Plague, documentary about the HIV epidemic in Iceland will be shown at cinema Bíó Paradis this Sunday, as a part of Reykjavík Pride 2019. Donni Gíslason is one of the people who tells his story in the film. Donni tested HIV-positive in 1985, when he

Absence of legal gender recognition and health care in Lithuania places transgender young people at serious risk when it comes to education and employment. Unable to change their gender in their legal documents, access health care and confronted with prevailing transphobic attitudes in the Lithuanian society, transgender individuals face a high degree of social marginalization
The post Transgender Youth in Lithuania Face Overwhelming Challenges in Education and Employment appeared first on LGL.

On 9 September, 2019 representatives of the National LGBT rights organization LGL, organized a kick-off meeting for the project “R.I.S.E: Raising awareness for Inclusive Societies to Embrace rainbow families in Europe” that took place in Bratislava, Slovakia. LGBT rights advocacy organizations from Latvia, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia, led by LGL, have joined their efforts in order to
The post Kick-off Meeting for the Project „R.I.S.E“ took place in Bratislava appeared first on LGL.

On 9th September, 2019 in an interview the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda underlined the “need to take the opinion of the Catholic Church into account regarding LGBT issues”. “Position of the Church on LGBT matters was, is and will be important to me. Will it be the only one? No. However the is no doubt
The post Lithuanian President will Consult with the Church on LGBT issues appeared first on LGL.

European countries that do not legally recognize same-sex relationships, including Lithuania, have seen a rise in homophobia over the last 14 years, a new study by Hungarian researchers suggests. The study, co-authored by Judit Takacs of the Hungarian Academy of Science, shows that, by contrast, acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships increased in countries that
The post Countries without same-sex marriage saw rise in homophobia, study shows appeared first on LGL.

On 5th September, 2019 the National LGBT organization LGL held an LGBT sensitivity training for the employees of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television. By organizing this training, LGL aimed to raise the awareness of professional journalists in fighting the phenomenon of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in the mass media. During the training, journalists were
The post Training on LGBT Sensitivity for Professional Journalists Organized in LRT Headquarters appeared first on LGL.

The Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union could not join the European Green Party due to different positions on family and LGBT+ rights, the party’s leader Ramūnas Karbauskis says. “We spoke that the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens cannot join the European Green Party. [Our] attitude to family is completely different, as we support the traditional family,
The post Lithuania’s Farmers and Greens Union refuses to join European Green Party due to LGBT stance appeared first on LGL.

With the popularity of social media, each internet user now has the right to openly express their thoughts on various issues. Many commenters on online forums have moved to social media, where one can speak out without moderation. Facebook, the most popular social media platform in Lithuania, has given its users unprecedented visibility and freedom
The post Hatred on social media: Report it, or observe passively? appeared first on LGL.

Older LGBT people face multiple discrimination: not only because of their age, but also because of their LGBT identity. In Lithuania, this is an especially sensitive problem, and one that is rarely discussed. Although LGBT people in Lithuania are becoming more and more open about their sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBT seniors rarely choose
The post LGBT seniors: “Too old” for both society and the LGBT community? appeared first on LGL.

A diplomat who carries memories of the emerald sea in her native Greece wherever she goes. Mother and grandmother, constantly overcoming great distance between Vilnius and Washington to visit her family. Aesthetic and promoter of cultural relations between Lithuania and Greece. A fighter who overcame all obstacles in order to fulfill her dream to bring
The post H. E. Ambassador of Greece in Lithuania Dr. Vassiliki Dicopoulou: “It is Time to Consolidate Recognition of LGBT Human Rights” appeared first on LGL.

For many years, Norway has been at the forefront in fostering LGBT human rights. In 1981, Norway became one of the first countries in the world to enact an anti-discrimination law explicitly including sexual orientation. Same-sex marriage, adoption, and IVF/assisted insemination treatments for lesbian couples have been legal since 2009. In 2016, Norway became the
The post Ambassador of Norway to Lithuania: “Protection of LGBT human rights is imperative for welfare of our societies” appeared first on LGL.

RuPaul has said that his controversial remarks – in which he compared transgender drag queens to doping athletes and said they wouldn’t be allowed to compete on Drag Race – were taken “so out of context”. Asked by the Sunday Times whether he still holds the view that drag cannot be done by women, cis … Continued
The post RuPaul says his comments on trans people were taken ‘so out of context’ appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

Former Welsh rugby captain Gareth Thomas has revealed he is living with HIV in a moving video, but said he had been “forced” to share the information. Thomas, 45, also said he wants to “break the stigma” around people living with HIV and show how people who are HIV positive are misrepresented as “walking around … Continued
The post Rugby star Gareth Thomas has been forced to come out as HIV positive appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

Bisexual opera singer Jamie Barton stole the show at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, waving a rainbow Pride flag during a rendition of ‘Rule Britannia’. Barton, a US mezzo-soprano who is a self-professed “queer girl with a nose ring”, took to the stage waving a Pride flag – and her dress also reflected … Continued
The post Last Night of the Proms sees Jamie Barton take a stand for gay rights appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

Former Tory prime minister David Cameron says he has “absolutely no regrets” about introducing same-sex marriage to England and Wales. In an extract of his forthcoming book, ‘For The Record’, published in The Times, Cameron calls introducing same-sex marriage to the UK “one of the things of which I’m proudest”. “Equal marriage was one of … Continued
The post David Cameron: Introducing gay marriage one of my ‘proudest moments’ appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

Alarming numbers of LGBTQ asylum claims are being rejected by the UK Home Office, according to recently published figures. This comes off the back of a spate of media coverage drawing attention to the injustices many individuals face when seeking asylum on the basis of their sexual identity. Academics have long noted a culture of … Continued
The post Interviews with asylum seekers reveal why the Home Office rejects so many LGBT claims appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

Non-binary singer Sam Smith, who has asked friends and family to use their they/them pronouns, has been misgendered by the Associated Press in an article reporting on their pronouns. “Sam Smith has declared his pronouns ‘they/them’ on social media after coming out as non-binary,” the first line of the AP article read when it was first … Continued
The post Sam Smith misgendered by Associated Press in story about their pronouns appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

An oil rig worker from Queensland, Australia, is suing his former boss for alleged sexual harassment. Cade Morrison is seeking $260,000 in damages from his former employer Harness Energy Services. In papers filed in the Federal Circuit Court, he claimed that he was harassed by his ex-human resources manager, Vaughn Amete. Oil rig worker sues … Continued
The post Oil rig worker sues boss for sending nudes and saying he’ll ‘turn him gay’ appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

King Princess, the 20-year-old singer of ‘Pussy Is God‘, got “more respect” from men in the music industry because of being queer. In an interview with Vanity Fair, King Princess spoke about growing up around her father’s Brooklyn recording studio. “Being gay gave me more respect than I saw given to a lot of straight … Continued
The post King Princess says being gay gave her ‘more respect’ in music business appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

A transgender choir in China is helping to change attitudes through their work. The members of the Trans Chorus, none of which are professional singers, have been brought together from across the country, according to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP). The singers have been unite by their shared experiences of struggling with their gender … Continued
The post The Chinese transgender choir who’re singing for acceptance appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

US Vice President Mike Pence claimed that homosexuality was “a choice” in the 1990s, as he fought against efforts to protect gay people from discrimination. Newly-unearthed materials discovered by CNN’s KFile shed light on Pence’s lifelong opposition to LGBT+ rights. As the head of the right-wing Indiana Policy Review Foundation think tank during the 1990s, … Continued
The post Mike Pence once claimed homosexuality is ‘a choice’ and so discrimination should be legal appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.

Last Sunday, Bosnia and Herzegovina saw its first Pride march in history. On behalf of ILGA-Europe, our Programmes Director Bjorn van Roozendaal joined this history day in Sarajevo.
Last Saturday, the day before the first-ever Pride march, a counter demonstration took place in Sarajevo with a label as a pro-family day and some parents brought their children. Boys get blue balloons, girls pink […]

This week in Brussels the groups, Iranti, Intersex South Africa, and the African Center for Migration and Society, in partnership with ILGA-Europe, brought a dialogue together with South African government (in particular the Department of Justice, the Department of Home Affairs, and the Department of Health) to specifically focus on trans and intersex rights and how to implement policy and law […]

Katrin Hugendubel, Advocacy Director at ILGA-Europe
As the Polish LGBTI community faces political demonisation and violent attacks, it’s time for our leaders to strategically put people first.
Over the last year, the Polish LGBTI community has been pulled into the middle of political confrontations that are stoking hatred, inciting violence and putting lives at risk. As Politico recently […]

Donations allows Revolut’s five million customers to instantly round-up their card payments and donate their spare change to charitable causes
The service will launch with an initial three charity partners: LGBTI rights organisation ILGA-Europe, Save the Children and WWF
Revolut customers will also be able to make donations via one-off, weekly or monthly recurring payments […]

Written by Middle Eastern Technical University LGBTI+ Solidarity Group
“If we make it ten steps, it will be a successful parade.” These are not the words that most Pride March organisers would ever want to say – but on the night before the 9th Middle Eastern Technical University Pride March, it was one we as the Pride organisers had to remind ourselves. Our city, Ankara, is […]

Next Thursday 27 June 2019 marks the European Equality Gala’s fifth birthday.
GalafundraisingMedia ReleaseThe biggest fundraising party for the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia will be held in a new venue at AREA 42 in Brussels, with all proceeds going directly towards ILGA-Europe’s work defending LGBTI rights across the region.
Gala guests can expect tunes spinning […]

Arpi Avetisyan, Senior Litigation Officer and Juliana Teoh, Advocacy Officer, ILGA-Europe
Do you know when EU citizens started to have the right to free movement across the European Union (EU), i.e. the right to live and work in any Member States they choose?
The Coman Case
This was the case of Adrian Coman, a Romanian citizen who married his husband (a US citizen) in Belgium […]

Mazen Masoud is a human rights activist from Libya who now lives in Bologna, Italy as a refugee. He is an intersex, trans and black person fighting racism.
I am Mazen, a Libyan refugee living in Italy since three years. I was born intersex, my family has chosen a female name for me. So this was the first episode of discrimination against me.
I have tried so much with other activists to change our […]

Purpose of this list
The purpose of this list is to discuss strategies, share relevant developments, materials and good practices, and to connect those working on issues around sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristic (SOGIESC) in the context of international protection in Europe.
Who is this list for?
Participation in this list is reserved for NGOs, legal […]

Generous donors have pledged to match donations made to ILGA-Europe between 26 November and 2 December, giving supporters of LGBTI equality the rare opportunity to double their impact.
#Giving4Equality
fundraisingcampaignfundingILGA-Europe drive LGBTI equality in Europe and Central Asia. We connect, support and advocate for LGBTI organisations in 54 countries. Funds raised in the […]